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The Excavation of the Roman Earthwork at Winterslow, Wilts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2011

Faith de Mallet Vatcher
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Extract

Originally thought to be a Neolithic long barrow, this site was proved by excavation to be the downhill half of a circular Roman earthwork, possibly an amphitheatre. It was excavated by the writer, assisted by her husband, Major H. L. Vatcher, on behalf of the Ministry of Works from April to July 1959.

Ploughing over the area as a whole for many years had considerably blurred the outlines of the earthwork, almost levelling the uphill half of the circle which was visible only at certain times and in certain lights, and had caused a great deal of hill-wash to accumulate in the hollow central part, while the bank of the excavated half had also been considerably spread and reduced in height.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Antiquaries Journal , Volume 43 , Issue 2 , September 1963 , pp. 197 - 213
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1963

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References

page 197 note 1 The writer wishes to thank Mr. F. K. Annable and Mr. Graham Webster for reports on the Roman pottery and iron spike. Thanks are due to the Ministry of Public Building and Works for a grant towards the cost of publication.

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page 208 note 1 Excavations, vol. i, 23–24, pi. III.

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page 208 note 7 Journ. of Soil Science, xiii (1962), no. 2, 254–8Google Scholar

page 208 note 8 The term ‘clay’ has been used as being descriptive of consistency, but chemical analysis has shown that ‘chalk silt’ is a more correct term. Dr. Forbes of the Sedgewick Museum, has suggested that the origin of the bank material might be Combe Rock in some nearby valley.

page 209 note 1 P.P.S. xxv (1959). 40Google Scholar.

page 209 note 2 P.P.S. xxvi (1960), 228Google Scholar; fig. 21, no. P22.

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page 210 note 2 P.P.S. xxvii (1961), 175Google Scholar, fig. 1.

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page 213 note 1 Saalburg, L. Jacobi, Das Römerkastell Saalburg (1897), Taf. xxxviii, no. 10; Unterboebingen, Der Obergermanisch-Raetische Limes, Taf. 2, fig. 2c; Pfünz, O-R.L. 14, Taf. xv, no. 34, etc.

page 213 note 2 Newstead, Curie, J., A Roman Frontier Post and its People (1911)Google Scholar, pi. lviii, nos. 6 and 11; Urspring, O-R.L., Taf. iv, no. 14; Hofheim, , Annalen des Vereins für Nassauische Altertumskunde und Geschichtsforschung (1912)Google Scholar, Taf. xvii, nos. 69–77, etc.

page 213 note 3 Cleere, , ‘Roman Domestic Ironwork, as illustrated by the Brading, Isle of Wight, Villa’, Bull, of the Inst. of Arch., London, i (1958), 67Google Scholar, and fig. 10 c–h.

page 213 note 4 Ashcroft, , ‘Report on the Roman Villa at Engleton, near Brewood’, Staffs. Record Soc. (1938), pl. xviii, no. 14Google Scholar.

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page 213 note 6 Verulamium, A Belgic and Two Roman Cities (1936), 218, pl. LXIV, no. 1, where it appears erroneously described as ‘part of a pilum’. From the photograph it seems that it is complete with its point and had it been a pilum it would have been at least another 10 inches longer and the soft iron shank is unlikely to have survived in this excellent state.